The Peace lily is an evergreen herbaceous perennial plant, belonging to a genus of about 40 species of monocotyledon flowering plants in the family Araceae that grows in tropical regions of the Americas and Southern Asia. It is not a true lily plant and contains calcium oxalate crystals.
Peace lily has large leaves about 12 to 65 cm long and 3 to 25 cm broad and flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10 to 30 cm long, white, yellowish, or greenish palm.
This plant is famous as indoor houseplants; best in the shade with little sunlight and watering approximately once in a week as it does not need a large amount of light and water to survive. Studies have shown that it cleans the indoor air of specific environmental contaminants.
Where should I place a peace lily in my house?
Peace lilies do best in sunny rooms, but if it’s a tall plant, be sure to place it somewhere where the leaves won’t block too many windows. If you don’t have a sunny room for your peace lily, use an artificial grow light (a compact fluorescent bulb) to provide the necessary amount of light.
How to Grow Peace Lily? (Propagating and Repotting)
Peace Lily, the scientific name spathiphyllum wallisii, is a perennial plant that can be found in the rainforest regions of Costa Rica, Venezuela, and other parts of South America.
The Peace Lily is also known as “Spath” or “Spathe”. It belongs to the family Araceae (formerly Acanthaceae). This plant has been used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes and when it was introduced to Europe, it became popular among florists who used this plant for cut flowers.
There are many reasons why the Peace lily makes an excellent indoor houseplant choice. Although the plant is not very popular, it can add some interesting character to your home’s interior. The Peace lily plant is easy to grow and requires very little maintenance.
It will thrive in most living conditions including low light and dimly lit areas but prefers a medium amount of sunlight. Peace lily requires moderate humidity and plenty of water. The Peace Lily plant has thick, glossy green leaves with white flowers that bloom in summer.
Native people have used the leaves of this plant for medicinal purposes. The name “spathiphyllum” comes from the Greek words “spatha” which means leaf and “phyllon” which means leaf.
This is because the leaves are shaped like a spade or shovel blade. The leaves of the Peace Lily plant do not have a pronounced smell and are not toxic to dogs or cats.
The Peace Lily plant is easy to cultivate. You can grow this indoor plant by starting seeds or by root division. To grow this plant from seed, you can sow the seeds in a glass with 1/4 tsp of light per cup of soil.
The seedlings will take approximately 8-9 weeks to germinate. When the seedlings are about 4 inches, remove them from the soil and start watering them every day. After a week, focus on fertilizing your plants with a water-soluble fertilizer for indoor plants every week until they are ready for transplanting outside.
To grow the Peace Lily plant by root division, you will have to separate the Peace Lily plant into smaller plants. Remove the plant from its container and carefully separate it into smaller plants using your fingers.
Make sure you do not damage the roots when separating them. Water them well and place them in a location with high humidity, such as a terrarium or on top of pebbles or rocks in a water tray for as much sunlight as possible. That’s all now! You can start enjoying your Peace Lily flowers.
Growing Peace Lily Step by Step
To grow, the peace lily, you need moist, rich, and well-drained soil with a temperature of at least 55 degrees.
- Select the pot or container that has good drainage where you want to grow your plant and shady location, as they do not need strong sunlight.
- Now, fill the container with potting mix, which contains coconut coir that helps to re-wet the soil quickly and place the plant in the container so that the top of the root ball about an inch below the top of the edge.
- Fill in around the root ball with more potting mix and water the plant until moisture begins to drain out the bottom of the pot.
- After that, water the plant until the overflow starts from the bottom of the container as lilies need consistently moist soil, but they do not like standing water.
- Similarly, you need to fertilize the plant after one month of the plantation. You should apply the nutrients directly to the soil or mix it in when you water the plant. Now, when your plant starts to wilt frequently, you need to grow your plants again in a new container for better growth of plants.
Can you grow a peace lily from a cutting?
Yes, you can grow a peace lily from a cutting. You can also propagate your peace lily from seed. The same procedure that you use to start a cutting can be used to start a seedling.
You’ll need:
1 Peace lily cuttings (or just leave the leaf axil above the soil, as shown in the photo)
1 Teaspoon of potting soil per 1 Cutting to increase water retention and reduce water loss while in transit. 1-2 cups of potting soil per 2 Cuttings based on how much root mass you want them to have after starting them in their containers.
A propagator or any other container you can control the humidity and temperature of.
Directions:
Fill a pot with soil, dampen it but do not make it soggy. Take the propagating material put it in the soil and ensure the leaf axil is above the soil line. Cover with clear plastic. If you don’t have clear plastic wrap, use a piece of cardboard instead. A piece of newspaper will work in a pinch, but it’s better to cover with something that doesn’t have ink on it, because it will probably get absorbed by the leaves which cannot be good for them.
Using:
Clear plastic wrap. can be used to make “mini greenhouses” for starting plants indoors. All you need is a clear sheet of plastic and some rubber bands. Simply cut the plastic so it is a couple inches larger than the pot, place on top of the soil and rubber band in place so it does not blow away or get dirty. You can also use a cardboard box lid with holes poked in it to allow for air flow without letting insects in too easily.
Growing:
During the early stages of growth, your peace lily might be susceptible to pests such as aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs. Use organic pesticides to get rid of these pests. Some of the most effective organic pesticides are:
1. Insecticidal soap. Insecticidal soap is a natural insecticide made from potassium salts and fatty acids. It’s an ideal, safe, organic pesticide for killing mites, aphids, and other soft-bodied insects that may be infecting your plants.
It can be used on your garden plants too. Mix one tablespoon of insecticidal soap with one gallon of water in a spray bottle. Spray the plant and the surrounding soil thoroughly to keep pests away from your peace lily plant. Reapply every 7-10 days as needed to prevent an infestation or to kill persistent pests.
2. BT: This is a naturally occurring soil bacteria that kills caterpillars and other insects. The formula for Bt is: 5 tablespoons of Bt mixed with one gallon of water. Spray the solution all-around your plants, focusing on the undersides of leaves as this is where the pests are most likely to be hiding. Do not over-apply Bt, as it can burn or discolor leaves.
3.Neem oil: Neem oil comes from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). It is effective in fighting a wide range of foliage eating insects such as caterpillars, beetles, and mites.
How to care for Peace Lily Plant?
How to care for Peace Lily
A peace lily is a gorgeous, eye-catching plant that is well suited for use as decoration in your home. They are often used when you want to add some color or drama to a room.
But what’s the proper care of this beautiful plant?
Here are ten easy steps that will help you keep your peace lily healthy and beautiful for years to come:
- The first thing you should do is make sure the soil has enough water. It should not be wet and soggy, but it should also not be dry or dusty. A good rule of thumb would be to wait until the topmost few inches have dried out before watering again.
- The peace lily likes bright light. They don’t like direct sunlight, so it may be helpful if you can place the plant in a place where it has a little bit of indirect light.
- It’s also important to water the peace lily once or twice a week, but it doesn’t need to get wet. Simply provide water that is no more than an inch thick for 30 minutes to an hour.
- If you don’t plan on putting any fertilizer in your soil, you will probably just have to mist the plant lightly and let them sun themselves for awhile until they start to grow new leaves.
- When you notice that the leaves are becoming too large, it’s time to trim back the leaves. This will help keep your peace lily healthy and looking nice.
- The peace lily is normally very resistant to pests and disease, but you’ll want to watch for root rot, which is caused by poor drainage or planting in a position that stays damp for long periods of time.
- A peace lily will only bloom when it reaches about three years old, though this is often done in terrariums or nurseries. They often bloom for an extended time period, which can make them one of the more popular houseplants.
- If you over-water your peace lily or let it get too dry, it can cause the flowers to drop off. So while you could still maintain a beautiful plant without having to cut back sadly, it’s probably better to invest in a more durable peace lily that will stay nice and healthy for longer.
- If your peace lily is getting too large and has lost leaves due to over-watering or prolonged dryness, it’s time to cut back the leaves. You can also take some of the leaves and put them in a vase with some water to get them to root and go into their own new peace lily.
- One of the easiest ways to propagate your peace lily is to place a leaf in some water, and watch for roots to form. You can then plant this new peace lily in its own pot. This means you will have an extra plant that others can share or give as a gift.
Following these easy steps will help you keep your peace lily happy and healthy for years. And if you are lucky, you’ll notice that it blooms in no time at all, making it a beautiful addition to any room or garden area.
The peace lilies are easy to grow, but you might notice some issues with them like fungus gnats, yellow leaves, brown edges, zero blooms, and dusty leaves. To avoid fungus gnats, you need to water less frequently and make sure the top of the soil dries out between watering, and you may use an insecticide to kill the larvae in the soil. Likewise, plants that have been overwatered might develop yellow leaves so you need to remove them by cutting all the way at the center of the plant.
Also, you need to fertilize your plants growing in bright light in about every six weeks with a liquid 20-20-20 product and feed the plants in low light. If your plant is getting direct sunlight then they might have brown edges, so you have to move the plants out of the direct sunlight and water the pot as it evaporates around the leaves, and raises humidity.
Moreover, if your plant is not blooming, then you need to move it towards the area where it will get brighter but not direct, and if your plant seems to have dusty leaves, then you need to shower the plant. Showering the plants also helps to remove the salt that is build up from the fertilizers.
Do peace lilies need direct sunlight?
Peace lilies need about 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day. If you are using artificial light for your peace lily, you can place a fluorescent light 10-12 inches above the plant.
How much water and fertilizer does my peace lily need?
A peace lily needs to be well watered, but over-watering can kill it. It should be water 1-2 times per week. The soil around the roots should always feel moist when you squeeze it, but not soaked. Be careful to apply no more than 1 inch of water at a time during the watering process.
Why you should have Peace Lily?
The peace lily is a beautiful plant that improves your indoor air quality as much as 60 percent and helps to reduce the level of mold spores that grows in the home by absorbing the spores through its leaves and circulating them to the plant’s root where they are used as foods.
Where can I buy the Peace Lily Plant?
You can find Peace Lilies plants in your local nurseries as well as you can contact your local florist. You can also buy Peace lily plants on Amazon and Etsy.
How long do peace lilies live?
Peace lilies normally live for 12-18 months. Some have lived up to 3 years, but this is unusual.